


Assassins of Light

by Galvatream



Series: Talons and Tigers [1]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Assassin Artemis Crock, Assassin Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson is a Talon, F/M, Hero Jade Nguyen, Jason Todd is Nightwing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:28:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23733091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galvatream/pseuds/Galvatream
Summary: Jade Nguyen is Bruce Wayne's Ward and his second protégé and latest member of the team. When an owl's feather is discovered with evidence that the Court of Owls is on the rise again, questions begin to arise, how did the Court survive the massacre committed by the Shadows? Or is their something larger at play.
Relationships: Artemis Crock & Jade Nguyen, Artemis Crock & Lawrence Crock, Artemis Crock & Talia al Ghul, Artemis Crock/Dick Grayson, Jade Nguyen & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Talia al Ghul & Dick Grayson
Series: Talons and Tigers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1709443
Comments: 13
Kudos: 58





	1. Mysteries

**Author's Note:**

> It's not the revamp of Phoenix, Son of Wonder Woman, but I've had this idea for a while and had to get it started. I will update Son of Darkseid within the next few days, and the revamp for Phoenix, Son of Wonder Woman shall be out within the next week. (Phoenix, Son of Wonder Woman is a Fanfiction.net story I wrote a while ago.)

The room was tense, firearms aimed at the windows and shadows, the thugs were large, each of them had a scar of some form upon their body. Standing at the centre of the room, was Tony Zucco, the mob boss responsible for the death of The Flying Graysons.

Hidden in the rafters, perched like an owl, was an assassin. He wore a black body glove. His face masked by a black cloth with gold goggles with red lenses. A gold crest rested above them. He had straps that housed several trowing knifes, each of them had golden handles.

He had two detailed shoulder pads outlined in gold. His gauntlets were golden, an owl face carved into them with sharp claw like talons. Around his waist was a black belt with a few pouches, a gold buckle held them in place. Upon his back, was a curved sword, the base of the handle was gold, as was the crossguard and blade. He was a Talon, perhaps one of the last in existence.

He watched Tony Zucco move about his men. He eyed the man responsible for his suffering at the hands of the Court. He felt no love for Zucco. However, he wasn't here for revenge, no, Zucco had become at thorn in The Light's side.

His mission was to take remove him from play, permanently. His hands brushed over the tips of his daggers, each dagger fitting into the grooves between his fingers with ease. Eyes narrowed, he struck fast, a dagger in the neck for each of Zucco's guards.

He watched with anticipation as Zucco drew his own weapon, a small firearm that he kept by his side at all times. He could laugh at the man's fear, but he didn't. That'd been beaten out of him by the Court.

"Show yourself!"

Talon shook his head, silently dropping down before the man. His eyes locked upon Zucco's terrified form. "You have been a thorn in The Light's side for far too long Zucco." He said, creeping towards the mob boss.

He reached for the blade upon his back. The elegant curves of the blade slid past their confines with ease as he drew it before him. He stopped, the silence was tense, he breathed silently, counting the seconds that passed.

In a quick motion, Zucco's head fell to the wooden floor, blood splattering over the floor as the body fell with a thumb. Talon stood above the mob boss's decapitated body. His job was done, wiping the blood from his blade, he retrieved his daggers, leaving behind an owl's feather before vanishing into the shadows.

* * *

A female marched through the Shadow's headquarters; anger was clear in her expression. Her outfit was orange and black, she wore an orange top that revealed much above her breasts. Her arms exposed with fingerless orange gloves. Her lower torso was exposed, a small set of flaps rested around her waist, she wore orange leggings that reached to below her waist flaps.

Her boots had black detailing. Her mask resembled a tiger, orange in colour with black markings, a crest rested above her eyes. She was Tigress, and she wasn't having a good day. Her most recent mission had become a failure, Roquette lived and both Hook and Black Spider were now in custody.

She expected punishment, her father had drilled into her that either you succeed, or you're punished. Talia had built upon that foundation, reinforcing the notion that failure could mean death. Her reputation among the Shadows was well known, she rarely failed a mission.

But the young heroes, oh how she hated them already. They had the decency to interfere with her mission, protecting the doctor and allowing her to create a counter to The Fog. Tigress was bitter, at how she was beaten by a bunch of sidekicks. Her gaze moved, falling upon Talon as he returned from another mission, one that she felt was easier than hers. It'd just been her luck that she'd ended up near Happy Harbour when Ra's needed someone.

Her gaze moved towards Ra's who stood silently. Tigress bowed before the Demon's Head. "Great One. I regret to inform that Roquette lives."

She waited for his response, for her punishment, she expected she was going to be humiliated before the shadows, made an example off. What she didn't expect, was The Demon Head's response. "Unfortunate, but Roquette may serve a purpose further down the line."

"Talon."

Tigress glanced to her side, watching as Talon came to stand next to her. The two of them were a formidable team, having been trained together by Talia herself. If Ra's needed something dealt with without risk of failure, the two of them were his first choice. But now, after today's failure, she wondered if that had changed.

"There a several targets that need to be eliminated. Talia shall provide you with the information needed to complete the task. Do not fail me."

Tigress watched, she didn't think she'd been addressed alongside Talon, her gazed moved to Talon who remained still, she blinked and glanced at Ra's. "Tigress, go with him. I know you both perform at your best when paired together."

She bowed in response, turning to follow Talon and prepare for the mission that lay before them.

* * *

Jade opened her eyes weakly, the events that led to her becoming Bruce Wayne's Ward remained fresh in her mind. The death of her mother, of Paula, it lingered there. The memories of her first mission with the team, the mistrust that Wally showed, it made her feel uneasy. He felt that she'd driven Robin, no, Jason didn't go by that name anymore, Nightwing, drove Nightwing of the team.

Shaking her thoughts aside, she made her way into her en-suite. She splashed cold water onto her face. Her eyes rested upon the mirror, upon her reflection. The memories of her little sister, all dressed up in an orange and black outfit, calling herself Tigress. She could only imagine how much she suffered at the hands of their father.

It unnerved her, how cruel their father could be, forcing them into the family business, she was glad that she'd found an escape, Bruce had offered her something no one else could, freedom. She was glad. Leaving her room, she made her way down the hallways of Wayne Manor, she constantly marvelled at how she'd been lucky enough to have Bruce Wayne become her guardian.

Entering the dinning room, she watched as Alfred finished putting out the breakfast plates. "Morning Miss Jade." The elderly British butler greeted, finishing up with the last of the glasses.

"Morning Alfred." Jade replied, taking a seat at the large table. She rubbed her forehead, trying to push the thoughts of what her father had done to Artemis to the back of her mind. She had other things to deal with at the moment.

"Master Bruce shall be down shortly, he recently discovered something that has caught his interest, and might catch yours as well." Alfred said.

Jade blinked as she glanced at Alfred, what had Bruce discovered that might catch her interest. Glancing towards the stairs, she watched as Bruce came down, his face mixed with both confusion and concern. "Jade." He greeted, taking a seat opposite her.

"Bruce." Jade replied. "Alfred said you discovered something that might interest me."

Bruce glanced at Jade. "Do you recall the Court of Owls, and how Jason and I investigated their sudden disappearance?"

Jade nodded. "Yes, my mother said that she and several Shadows wiped them out."

Bruce leaned forward. "I discovered an owl's feather at the scene of a murder, along with several knifes used by the Talons." He said.

Jade widened her eyes. "How? My mother made sure that no Talon's survived, that if the Court's members did survive, they'd have no assassins to carry out their tasks." She was confused, puzzled by the sudden revelation. A Talon, on the loose. Had a few Talons survived the massacre committed by her mother and the Shadows?

Jade leaned back in her chair. "Who was killed?"

"Tony Zucco."

Jade blinked, the name was familiar to her, Zucco, he was the one who ended The Flying Graysons, the one who seemingly kidnapped their son. But why would the Court go after him? What had he done that angered the court, if any of their council even survived the Shadows?

"What'd he do?" She asked, watching Bruce closely. If there was one thing she'd learned from Bruce, it was that it always come in handy to pay close attention to those around you. You could always learn something from the way their facial expression changed.

"His records state nothing that could've angered the Court. Mob Bosses don't seem to gain the attention of the Court. Gotham would be a nicer place if they did. Which brings up the question, who has a Talon at their command?" Bruce responded.

Jade nodded, it was a good question, who has a Talon at their command. But there was something strange going on. "You said the Talon left an owl feather, yet all records concerning the Talons say they left no calling cards. So why leave a calling card knowing that Shadows that might come after you?" She wondered.

Bruce pondered this thought. Why leave a calling card that would draw attention to you? "We'll have to sit on this for a while till we can gather further evidence regarding this Talon, and whoever pulls his strings.


	2. Targets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy blinked as he glanced at the others. “Wasn’t the Court wiped out by the Shadows?”

Talon sat before Talia. His eyes locked upon the one who liberated him from The Court several years ago, the one who taught him many of the skills he now knows and uses to the best of his ability. She had, by all forms, become a mother to him. His past, The Court had washed that away with their conditioning, their brainwashing.

“Talon, Tigress.” Talia said. “Your next mission is a top priority mission, these targets are to be eliminated as quickly as possible. Your missions may take up to a month, and your targets are spread across the world.” Talia began, reaching back as she grabbed a list from the nearby table.

“For a majority of the missions, you’ll have to go undercover, your identities are ready to go.” Talia paused, her gaze resting upon the two. “My father expects you to succeed, so do I. Do not fail the Shadows.” She finished.

Talon nodded as he grabbed the list. He stood tall, turning to leave.

“And Talon, you will be using a variety of weapons for this mission, just remember your training.” Talia added.

Talon nodded, leaving the room as he moved to get prepared.

* * *

Mount Justice was silent as the team gathered within the central chamber, Canary stood, watching as she noticed a member missing. “Where is Cheshire?” She questioned.

Wally shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t really care where Cheshire had gone, she’d driven Jason off the team. He didn’t understand how Batman could just replace him like that, not even a month later, and suddenly this new kid arrives, taking the place Jason was meant to have. It annoyed him to no end.

“Recognised Batman 0-2, Cheshire B-0-7.”

The bat and the cat made their way towards the team, the two having a silent discussion about something. “Your late.” Canary said, hands on her hips.

The Dark Knight narrowed his eyes. “Training will have to wait.” He said, turning around as he brought up several holographic screens. “Just a few days, Tony Zucco was murdered.” He began.

Wally blinked. “The guy who sabotaged The Flying Graysons act? Who killed him?” He questioned.

Cheshire rolled her eyes behind her mask, turning to look at her mentor. Batman kept his gaze locked on the team. “Evidence pulled from the scene points towards The Court of Owls being responsible.”

Roy blinked as he glanced at the others. “Wasn’t the Court wiped out by the Shadows?”

Cheshire nodded. “It was.” She confirmed.

The Caped Crusader nodded. “We’ve ruled out that The Court is active once more. However, the current theory is that someone has gotten their hands on a surviving Talon. Until more evidence is gathered, we can not make a move on the Talon or its master. For now, the six of you will be split into teams of two. There are three targets that the Shadows are after. Your mission is to ensure that the Shadows do not succeed.”

Cheshire stood tall, waiting for her partner. Batman turned to face her. “Aqualad and Cheshire are Team Alpha, Kid Flash and Speedy are Team Beta, Miss Martian and Superboy are Team Gamma.” Batman turn to face the screens once more. “Your targets are Renee Montoya, Kai Stewart and John Corben. Team Alpha will protect Renee Montoya, Team Beta has Kai Stewart while Team Gamma focus on protecting John Corben.” The Caped Crusader said, walking away, motioning for both Cheshire and Kaldur to follow him.

“Recognised Batman 0-2, Aqualad B-0-2, Cheshire B-0-7.”

* * *

Talon glanced down at his current identity, Timothy Grand, the personal bodyguard to an business woman. He wore a red suit with a white tie and shades to cover his light sensitive eyes. Within his belt was a small firearm. He glanced over at Tigress, who at the moment, was known as May Oswald, the business woman he was the bodyguard to.

She wore a black outfit, a suitcase in her hand. The two of them stood, waiting for their driver to arrive and take them to the hotel they would be staying out while they tracked down Kai Stewart. He glanced through his shades, ignoring many people who glanced towards them. He eyed them all, watching them closely, they were currently in Blud’haven, a town rich with crime, though it wasn’t as bad as Gotham, it still needed work.

Following Tigress, Talon sat next to her, his eyes watching their driver closely, he didn’t fit the position of businessman well, he didn’t like to talk to others, the only people he ever talked to were Ra’s, Talia and Tigress. Bodyguard was his position, it fit him well. 

The two of them stepped from their ride at the hotel, Talon followed Tigress from behind, keeping his ears and eyes alert in case anyone threatened her. Once they had arrived at their room, Talon stood to the side while Tigress prepared herself for their plan tonight, scout out the area before taking a plan of action, it was a standard plan that they’d formed.

* * *

As night fell, Talon and Tigress leapt across the roof tops, keeping to the shadows as they arrived opposite a Lex Corp building. Talon kneeled opposite the building as he narrowed his eyes. His gaze swept the area surrounding the building, a blur of red and yellow caught his attention. He focus his attention upon the speedster.

“We’ve got heroes.” He muttered, loud enough for Tigress to hear.

Tigress turned her attention towards the speedster, her eyes narrowed in annoyance as she recognised him. “Kid Flash. He shouldn’t be too much of an issue, it’s the others that we need to worry about.” She replied, her gaze shifting back towards the building.

Talon nodded as he glanced at the building. “Scout out the east side, I’ll take the west, meet up at the northern side of the building.” He whispered, taking to the shadows as he leapt through the air gracefully.

* * *

Talon glanced over the western side of the building. His eyes narrowed as he stared into the office of Kai Stewart, there was another hero there, a red archer with a yellow hat. He narrowed his eyes as he got a closer look at the archer.

Shaking his head, he glanced over the rest of the western side, taking note of every possible escape and entry point he could find. Leaping over buildings, he landed just as Tigress arrived to greet him. “Seven possible escape routes, eight entry points. She reported.

Talon nodded as he glanced over the building. “Another hero was spotted, red with a yellow hat, an archer.” He said.

Tigress frowned. “Speedy, he might prove an issue with keeping down, but between the two of us, we can pull this off.” She replied.

Talon glanced back at the Lex Corp building. “Tomorrow, Kai Stewart dies.” He said. The two of them vanishing into the shadows, leaving the building untouched. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan on having more Talia with Dick and Artemis moments. 
> 
> Kai Stewart was a character I created several years ago during my early days on Wattpad, he's just an expendable character of mine who tends to have a history with another character of mine, called Ninja Master.


	3. First Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tigress shook her head. “And here I was, hopping it was Speedy that come out, would’ve made things far easier for my partner.” She continued to taunt, moving in from behind.

Roy leaned against the wall silently, his eyes locked upon the window. Close by, Wally stood, observing as Kai experimented with something. Kai Stewart himself was a lean fellow, tall with black hair and light skin. He wore a white lab coat, the Lex Corp L upon the shoulder. He wore classes as he tested several vials of liquid.

Glancing over at the window, he was struck up about the new kid, on one hand, it was nice to have someone new, on the other, well, it did make him wonder how she came to know the Bat, or what Jason was going to do now that she was, well Batman’s partner.

Shaking his thoughts aside, he glanced over at Wally who seemed to be watching the window closely. Turning his gaze back to the window, he focused upon the rooftops, his gaze fell upon a figure. He wasn’t familiar with he figure, but it seemed Wally knew who she was.

“Tigress.” He heard Wally mutter, he glanced at Kai, the man had wanted to work late, and the two heroes, being his assigned bodyguards, had to remain behind with him. It made him uneasy, the fact that they were protecting a member of Lex Corp, which for points and purposes, helped build the weapons Luthor constantly used to try and take down the Man of Steel.

His attention was drawn to another figure beside Tigress, the figure was male, but his black outfit and the shadows made it difficult to identify who it was. He caught reflections of gold from the figures outfit. He eyed them closely, watching as the male vanished into the shadows, leaving Tigress to herself. “KF, see what Tigress wants, I’ll make sure the good professor is kept safe.” He said, moving to stand in the shadows while Wally raced from the room.

* * *

Tigress smirked as she watched Wally race outside. Keeping to the shadows, she made her way around, slowly reaching for a blade Talon had gifted her last her. The blade was one used by the Talons. A golden shine glimmered in the faint light, reflecting from the blade and cross guard. The hilt was black with gold at the base.

Standing ready she watched as Wally swept the area, she needed to keep him busy while Talon took down the target. It was one of their many tactics, and it meant she got to taunt her foes, something she loved to do. “League couldn’t send a superior hero so they sent the kiddies in their place.” She began.

She watched Wally’s reaction with slight amusement. “Surrender Tigress.”

Tigress shook her head. “And here I was, hopping it was Speedy that come out, would’ve made things far easier for my partner.” She continued to taunt, moving in from behind.

* * *

Talon crept through the shadows, his eyes locked upon Kai and Speedy. Gently, he dropped down from the vents, dropping into the rooms corner, he reached back, drawing a few of his throwing knives.

“Drop them!”

Talon glanced over at Speedy, his bow was drawn and ready to fire. Talon tilted his head to the left slight, observing the red archer, he gently eased his way forward, not even bothering to speak a word, he grabbed something from his belt, the spherical object concealed within the palm of his hand.

“I said drop them.”

Talon ignored Speedy, he stood ready, separating his legs as he slowly aligned his body to strike. In a quick motion, he flung the object from his hand, smoke formed within the room. With speed, Talon leapt at Kai, diving a few of his knives into the professors back before grabbing the man’s head and twisting it. 

The sound of bones snapping echoed within the room. Speedy drew back another arrow, watching as the smoke slowly began to clear, he watched as Talon leapt back towards the window. Releasing the arrow, he watched as Talon turned, grasping the arrow mid-air. Speedy widened his eyes as he saw the outfit, a Talon. He shook his head and quickly aimed another arrow. 

Talon leapt back, smashing out the window as Speedy continued to fire arrows at him. Landing in a crouch, Talon quickly started to run, leaping over things as he heard the archer from behind.

* * *

Tigress smirked as Wally’s attention was drawn to the sound of a window smashing. She quickly moved in, sliding in from underneath him, kicking his legs out before flipping over the fence and racing towards where her partner was currently running from Speedy.

She leapt in, kicking Speedy to the ground before she cartwheeled back, standing next to Talon, she glanced to her right to see Wally race over to Speedy’s side. “You’re the Talon.” Wally said as he eyed Talon’s outfit.

Talon nodded as he wrapped an arm around Tigress’s waist. Pulling put another object, he fired to the top of a building, a thick steel line fired out, a small hook embedding itself into the hard stone. With ease, the two of them took into the night sky, flying across the rooftops as they heard the pursuing heroes behind them.

Leaping onto another building, the two stopped, turning around to face the heroes. Talon bent his body, standing ready as he held himself in a predatorial way. Fingers spread out as he watched the two heroes. He remained silent as Tigress stood ready to fight.

Speedy drew his bow back, an arrow ready to be unleashed at the two assassins. He narrowed his eyes in concentration, Wally beside him stood, ready to race forward at a moments notice. “We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Your choice.” Speedy said.

Talon glanced at Tigress and gave a small nod. The two of them leapt into action. Talon diving to engage Wally while Tigress dealt with Speedy. Talon leapt to the side, using his enhanced speed to try and keep up with the speedster.

While the two fought, Tigress drew a small crossbow and fired off several shots. Speedy ducked and fired a few arrows of his own in return. The two of them quickly resorted to hand to hand combat after they realised their ranged methods were doing nothing.

The pair fought on par, but Tigress caught the upper hand when Wally screamed in pain, distracting Speedy enough for her to dislocate his leg. With the archer on the ground, and the speedster clutching his arm, Tigress and Talon vanished into the night.

* * *

Roy and Wally sat in the bed bay, watching as The Dark Knight stood before them. “Who were the assassins?” He questioned.

Roy glanced at Wally. “Tigress and, the Talon.” He said.

Batman narrowed his eyes. “I will inform the others to take care with how they handle the assassins, for now, rest your bodies. This won’t be the last time we see Talon and Tigress.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly setting up the background rise for a few of our antagonist for the second part of the Talons and Tigers series.


	4. The Metro Issue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David nodded. “Ah, that explains a few things, I take it the relationship between the two of you isn’t that great.”

Talon felt his eyes squeeze tightly behind his sunglasses. The bright sun over Metropolis was too bright for him. He preferred the darkness of Gotham or the shadows of Blud’haven compared to this, bright hell. The big blue scout, as he’d heard Joker call the Man of Steel before, was another issues, not that he and Tigress weren’t prepared for the Kryptonian, The two of them were some of the select few chosen to carry Kryptonite with them at all times.

The driver Tigress was busy arguing with was way too dark for the city, in his opinion, the driver should be in Gotham. Slowly making his way towards the two, he adjusted his tie while straightening out his back. Lessons he’d been taught by the Court to impose fear over others.

The man seemed to get the hint, his bitter attitude vanished, replaced out of fear. Tigress was grateful for the assistance, the man was starting to get on her nerves, to the point that Talon might’ve had to physical hold her before she did an serious harm to the man, not he didn’t think he deserved it, they just didn’t want to draw unwanted attention.

* * *

Another safehouse of theirs, stockpiled ot the brim with lead lined walls, as were several different security systems, courtesy of Lex Corp. Talon observed his rather large collection of blades of all shapes and sizes. Some were small enough to be concealed within the palm of his hand while others would’ve required him to use both hands at once.

A glance at the wall that Tigress had set up revealed her own array of weaponry, several firearms of different types, bows and crossbows as well as a wide range of arrows and smaller daggers littered her wall.

Crates rested nearby, each stockpiled with explosives and other handy equipment. Tech rested upon tables, some pulled apart while others were still together. They’d gathered dust, most likely from the last time they’d been here. He shook his head as he leaned over the map of Metropolis.

“So, John Corben, why does The Great One want him dead?” Tigress questioned. From her experience, Corben was a professional con who had no contact with the Shadows.

Talon narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. “The Light has seen potential in him. However, he lacks a few things they desire. With the loss of The Weapon was a heavy blow. The Brain has revealed another way to create a weapon, which is where Corben comes into play.” Talon explained.

Tigress nodded in understanding. “So, we bring a con to The Light. Seems simple enough.” She said.

Talon glanced over his weapons. “Corben is currently held within the M.P.D station, it seems the Boy Scout managed to capture him and is now under heavy guard. No doubt alert to the fact that someone may take interest in his talents.” He said, reaching out as he grasped a new gauntlet from the wall.

The golden gauntlet was similar to the ones he wore, however, there was an extra piece attached. A small hook launcher. Something he felt was going to come in handy during their mission. “We need to scout out the station, prepare for our assault.” Talon stated, pulling his suit from a suitcase.

* * *

Superboy knew something was off about Corben, why would someone want a low life criminal dead, it was something he didn’t understand. Yet it seemed someone was after him. If the amount of M.P.D officers stationed around his cell was anything to go off. 

Glancing over at Commissioner David Corporon, the man had brown hair and eyes, along with a moustache and beard. “Superboy, the Man of Steel never mentioned he had a boy.” The commissioner said.

Superboy narrowed his eyes. “I’m his clone.” He replied.

David nodded. “Ah, that explains a few things, I take it the relationship between the two of you isn’t that great.”

Superboy nodded. “He pretends I don’t exist.”

David narrowed his eyes. “Hmm, let me tell you a secret son, Superman has a few weakness, Kryptonite is the only one, if you reveal your existence to Loise Lane, I’m sure he’ll come around, if not, I’m sure the other Just League members know a few people who can help knock a few of his screws loose.” He replied.

Superboy nodded, those were a few ideas he liked, if it meant that Superman finally started to pay attention to him, then it was good enough. _“M’gann, any news from outside?”_ He questioned.

 _“Nothing Superboy, though there were two people acting strange earlier. Almost like they were observing the building and his defences.”_ The Martian replied.

Superboy groaned. _“We’ll keep our eyes open for anything out of the usual.”_ He responded, glancing over at David. “Miss Martian just contacted me, said two people were acting strange earlier, like they were observing the place.”

David frowned. “I don’t like the sound of that, I’ll make sure every possible entrance is guarded.”

Superboy’s comm soon rang, the Boy of Steel reached, activating it. “Superboy here.”

 _“Superboy, Miss Martian, be on high alert, your attackers are highly skilled, Superman’s on his way now, I’m headed to provide aid to Cheshire to Aqualad.”_ The Dark Knight said.

Superboy looked at the commissioner. “Superman’s on his way to help us.” He said.

David glanced at the Boy of Steel. “If he’s coming, then who are we protecting Corben from?”

Superboy glanced at John Corben. “Highly skilled people, that’s all I was told, no names, just to be on high alert.” He replied.

David nodded. “I’ll inform the boys to keep their eyes and ears open. We’ll take whoever it is coming down hard. No one messes with the M.P.D and gets away unharmed.” He stated.

* * *

Within their safehouse, Talon and Tigress loaded up on weapons. Explosives packed away into pouches, throwing knives fitted into their clothing. Blades thrown across their back, arrows slid into pouches and crossbows were loaded as the two readied themselves for the assault on the M.P.D station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the Talon and Tiger Metropolis, Metallo's origin is being set up. And I wonder who Talon was referring to with The Weapon... Could it be the Boy of Steel?


	5. Assault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David glanced up at the Man of Steel. “A thing of Gotham myth just happened Superman, a bloody Talon walked right through us like we were nothing. Hell, I don’t even know how I’m still alive.” He replied, walking forward to see the two young heroes standing to the side.

Tigress perched upon the building opposite the M.P.D, a sniper rested within her hands. Her head rested, an eye watching through the scope. She breathed silently as she lined her first shot. With a silent breath, she eyed the first office. “I’ve got sights on several targets, no sign of any heroes yet.” She muttered.

A voice responded through a comm. “I’m headed in, provide the distraction.”

Tigress smirked as fired, the officers were quick to react, many of them searching for her. Tigress cast the sniper aside, quickly leaping over the rooftops. She pulled out a crossbow, firing off several shots. Three officers fell within the first few minutes of her assault.

* * *

Inside, David Corporon was barking out orders, within his cell John Corben sat, watching with interest as his captors were quick to defend themselves. “Seems you’ve got issues Commissioner, whoever would be coming after me must be an idiot to assault your headquarters.” Corben said, watching as Superboy moved to the front door.

David turned to face Metallo. “You’ll be lucky if they’re not here to kill you.” He replied, drawing out his gun.

Above, in the vents, Talon watched with an observant gaze. His fingers grazed over a few of his throwing knives. With speed, he leapt from the vents, several officers fell as he rolled to a stop. He glanced towards Superboy. He recognised the clone from Cadmus. “The Weapon.” He muttered, tilting his head to the side as he eyed Superboy with keen eyes.

Superboy narrowed his gaze. “You’re the Talon.” He said.

Talon spread his fingers out, the sharp golden claws shined in the light. “I do not wish to harm The Weapon, but if you stand in the way of my objective, I will show no mercy.” He responded. 

Superboy leapt at him, Talon stood to the side, gracefully avoiding the punches thrown by the clone. Talon wasn’t impressed with his fighting style. With speed, Talon grasped Superboy’s fist and quickly flung the Boy of Steel into the wall. “This is what has become of The Weapon, a punching bag?” He said.

Superboy growled as he stood tall, his gaze fell upon Talon once more. “You don’t want to make me angry.” He warned.

Talon chuckled as he quickly flung several of his throwing knives at David, trapping the commissioner against the wall. “Tigress, the Martian is outside, subdue her, but do not kill, they need them alive for the plan.” He said, punching the commissioner in the face.

Superboy widened his eyes as he heard an explosion. “Superman will be here soon.” He said, standing ready to fight.

Talon smirked. “Gray Son.” He said, watching as Superboy froze. With a smirk, he turned to face Corben. “John Corben, our benefactor has need of your service.” He said, slicing the cell door from its hinges.

Corben glanced at Talon. “What did you do to him?” He questioned, looking over Superboy.

Talon ignored him and advanced towards the door. “Tigress, I have Corben, time to leave.” He said.

* * *

Tigress chuckled as she flipped backwards. She glanced at Miss Martian. “It’s been fun Martian, but I have a job to complete.” She said, quickly firing several bolts from her crossbow towards nearby officers.

Miss Martian raced to stop them, a blur of red and blue quickly intercepted her, knocking the bolts from the air. She blinked before she saw the Man of Steel standing, watching as Tigress vanished into the shadows. “Superman.” She said.

Superman nodded, turning to head inside the M.P.D station. M’gann followed from behind, the two of them moved through the near empty hallways, the lifeless bodies of M.P.D officers littered the place, several of them had parts of the body sliced off, others had throwing knives embedded into them.

Entering the cells, they saw David strapped to the wall, alive, and Superboy, standing still in a trance. Miss Martian raced forward, shaking Superboy. “Superboy.” She said.

The Boy of Steel blinked before he shook his head. “What happened, I remember facing off against Talon before everything went black.” He said.

Superman helped David free himself. “Commissioner, what happened?” He asked.

David glanced up at the Man of Steel. “A thing of Gotham myth just happened Superman, a bloody Talon walked right through us like we were nothing. Hell, I don’t even know how I’m still alive.” He replied, walking forward to see the two young heroes standing to the side.

Superman glanced over at Superboy, his gaze moved quick to M’gann. “Miss Martian, take Superboy back to the cave, I’ll clean things up here, and have a word with Batman about his foes messing in other cities.” He said.

Superboy frowned. “He said that Kid Flash and Speedy had already encountered them.” He replied.

Superman narrowed his eyes, but quickly moved to analyse the cell.

* * *

Talon stopped before Luthor, Tigress stood back, watching as Corben and Luthor interacted. “Well down Talon, my partners will be pleased with your success. I trust Superboy wasn’t an issue considering your shared DNA.” He said.

Talon nodded. “We’ll be leaving now Luthor, we have one final target to hunt down.” He said, turning to leave.

“Oh Talon, we will have another job for you and Tigress very soon.” Luthor said, watching as the two left without a word.

* * *

Batman eyed Superman down. “We can’t assume that the Talon is working for the Shadows, with what he told Superboy, this is something else, he was sent to retrieve John Corben, but he also noted that Superboy was meant to a weapon to whoever he worked for, and that Speedy, Kid Flash and Aqualad’s uncovering of Cadmus derailed whatever they were planning to do with him.” He said.

Superman crossed his arms. “You can’t rule out that Superboy isn’t a spy, giving information over to the enemy.”

Batman narrowed his eyes. “From what Cheshire uncovered, he has no knowledge of what the enemy wants, or why they would. As far I see, he’s one of us. Get over it, or I’ll bring them in.” He warned, turning away.

Superman sighed. “I hope you’re right about this, if he does turn against us, I reserve the right to say I told you so.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few changes to the timeline, as mentioned by Lex, Instead of Superboy having some of Luthor's DNA, he has some of Talons, I'll expand upon this later down the line, next chapter we see Jason appear in person, as well as his interaction with Aqualad and Cheshire.


	6. A Court's Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renee blinked. “Robin?” She questioned.

Jade sat silently, watching Renee Montoya closely. She sat silently, checking over her gear. Aqualad was outside, keeping watch for any signs of the assassins. She glanced up to see Renee staring at her. “When did Batman get a new partner?” She questioned.

Jade opened her mouth to answer, only for another voice to answer in her place. “Since I left him.” Jason said, entering the room in his Nightwing outfit, the red colouring of the bird wings stood out against the black. A domino mask covered his eyes. On his back were two escrima sticks.

Renee blinked. “Robin?” She questioned.

Jason narrowed his eyes. “It’s Nightwing now detective.” He corrected, turning to face Jade. “I was asked by Batman to help in protecting you from the assassins.” He added, a hint of bitterness rested upon his tongue.

Renee nodded. “Should I know who it is that’s after me?” She wondered.

Jade sighed as she leaned back against the wall. “Tigress and Talon.” She responded, putting the last of her gadgets into her utility belt. She sighed; she couldn’t wait to get her new outfit after the mission was complete.

Jason quickly marched to the side, leaning against the wall as he glanced over at Jade. He didn’t trust her one bit. He was positive that she had deceived Bruce, slipped under his nose and was relaying information over to the enemy.

Even though he didn’t trust her, she was a formidable foe. That was something he could respect. She wouldn’t back down from a fight, like him or Bruce. “ _Batman’s relaying information to us now, he’s spotted the assassins headed our way. Be ready for a fight._ ” Aqualad’s voice said over the comm.

Jason bit his lips, they had a fight on their hands.

* * *

_The rooms were silent, Talia hated it. It made her uneasy, weary of what was to come. Her fellow assassins seemed to fell the same way. She glanced to her right, Huntress walked, her crossbow at the ready. Glancing over to her right, was Sportsmaster, behind them was a considerably large amount of assassins._

_As they came to a stop, Talia glance over the owl symbol. “We’ve arrived, be ready for anything. And remember, the only way you’re taking down a Talon is by slicing it’s head clean off their body.” She said, receiving nods of understanding from her troop._

_With a kick, Talia had knocked the door down, revealing the secret chambers that belonged to The Court of Owls. “Take them out. Huntress, you’re with me. Sportsmaster, take a group and hunt down any Talons currently under ice.” She ordered, heading towards the central chamber of The Court._

_Entering the main chamber, she glanced to see the heads of The Court all standing around. She could see the shock in their expressions, even with their owl themed masks. “The League of Shadows has no business in Gotham, leave at once.”_

_Talia shook her head, a small force of assassins joined her and Huntress. “You have become an obstacle to my fathers plans. One I intend to eliminate.” She said, holding her blade tightly, eyes narrowed in concentration._

_“Talon’s, execute them.”_

_Talia moved fast, cutting through the Talons with ease, leaping over several before she came to a stop before the head of The Court. “The shadows cannot conceal you forever.” She said._

_The head of The Court chuckled. “We will return again, and when we do, our Gray Son will be the end of you all.”_

_Talia shook her head. “That day will never come.” She responded, cutting their head off. She turned to see Huntress had taken off with a group of assassins. She allowed a smirk to form upon her lips, she loved how Paula could quickly take command, moving out and ensuring that everything was taken care off._

* * *

_Talia came to a stop, several assassins stood guard, Sportsmaster among them. “What’s going on?” She questioned._

_Sportsmaster gave a quick bow to Talia. “We found a young Talon in training. Isolated from the others.” He explained._

_Talia frowned. “Why is he not dead?”_

_Sportsmaster blinked, backing up slightly. “The boy can’t be any older than nine years.” He said. “Huntress wouldn’t let us kill him before you’d had a look over him. Said he has the potential serve the shadows.” He finished._

_Talia pushed through, entering the room. She saw Huntress standing silently. In the corner, rolled in on himself, was the boy. He seemed afraid, almost trying to hide from them. Her heart broke at the sight. The Court had tortured a child, all to turn him into one of their obedient assassins, this was something even the Shadows refused to do._

_She walked forward, placing a hand upon Huntress’s shoulder. “I’ll take it from here.” She said. Watching as Paula nodded, taking her leave. Talia approached the young boy and bent down. “What is your name?” She asked, watching as the boy tried to hide further from her. She frowned, what had The Court done to him, there didn’t seem to be any life left in him._

_“You’re meant to be their Gray Son, aren’t you?” Talia began, deciding another approach was needed. “They won’t hurt you anymore.” She went on, watching as the boy slowly revealed his face, she caught sight of his eyes, a tint of gold lined the blue._

_Talia slowly reached out towards him. “My name is Talia, what is yours?” She tried again, watching as the boy observed her. She noted the calculating look in his pupils._

_“I… I don’t remember.” He struggled to get the words out. “The Court, they did things. Stole memories.” He went on. “I… glimpses of memories, things from before The Court linger… a circus, acrobatic act, falling, darkness, pain. Coldness.” He finished._

_Talia blinked, The Court was cruel, a child shouldn’t have been treated like this. “Come with me, I will treat you better then The Court ever did. We will help recover your memories, train you so that you never fall victim to people like them ever again.” She said._

_The boy nodded slightly. “Too weak to move, Court punish for resistance.” He said, closing his eyes as he passed out._

_Talia sighed. “Sportsmaster, carry the boy. We return to base.” She said._

* * *

Jade blinked as a crash was heard and readied herself for a fight. Only for three words to shock her. “Hello big sis.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's how the Court fell through Talia's eyes.


	7. The Gotham Failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Call me Tigress, sister.” Artemis replied coldly, moving to strike fast.

Jade eyed her sister down, her body moved on instinct, ready to defend herself. Artemis wasn’t who she once was, and Jade knew she’d act in the interest of the mission. She watched as Artemis drew a blade, Jade’s hands reached to her belt, drawing a few batarangs for use.

“Artemis.” The words left Jade’s lips weakly, she wasn’t sure how her younger sister would react.

Artemis stood silently, Talon was in the shadows, still out of sight, though she knew that Nightwing would soon discover him. She eyed the other heroes, each of them were formidable alone, and together, they proved a threat. But she and Talon, despite the silence that came between them during battle, were a deadly team.

“Call me Tigress, sister.” Artemis replied coldly, moving to strike fast.

Jade dived back, unleashing the batarangs she’d grabbed hold off in quick succession. She noted that Artemis was able to deflect those that came her way, those that went passed never met a target. That worried her, someone was able to stop them silently, she knew for sure it was the Talon, only they could have a reaction time that high, or have the speed to stop them.

Jade leapt over a table, kicking it towards her younger sister before unleashing a few more batarangs.

Artemis leapt over the table, her blade knocking the batarangs to the side, a few of them managed to graze her skin and clothing. She ignored them and continued her attack on Jade, her blade swung with precision, cutting through the air with ease. A pair or escrima sticks soon emerged, blocking her sword.

She glanced to her right where Nightwing stood ready to fight. She grinned and flipped back, landing near the edge of shadows. The three heroes all stood, ready to fight. Renee stood behind them, watching with silent eyes, a firearm held tightly in her hands.

From the shadows beside Artemis, Talon emerged, made no sound in his movement. The eyes behind his owl like lenses narrowed upon Renee, though they did briefly sweep over the heroes, his gaze lingered longer on Nightwing then it did the other two.

Jason held his ground, eyes narrowed and lips locked in concentration. “Talon and Tigress, didn’t really believe any of you Talons survived the Court’s massacre.” He began. “But working with the shadows, this is surprising.” He finished.

Talon did not speak. He rolled his fingers, spreading them wide, the golden claw tips ready to strike, his body moved downwards, ready to pounce upon the heroes. He knew the main threat to the mission was currently Jason, making him his primary target for the moment.

With speed, Talon lunged, slicing down upon Jason. Batman’s ex-partner moved fast, leaping back and moving to strike. Talon flipped backwards, landing upon a table and unleashed a few throwing knives.

Tigress moved quickly, racing towards Aqualad and Jade. She swung, watching as Aqualad formed blades of own to counter. The two of them stared each other down, their eyes locked upon the others. The two quickly raced forward, their blades clashing as they danced about the room.

Talon moved quickly reaching out with his hand as he swung. Jason reacted quickly, spinning around and slamming his escrima sticks in Talons arm. The snapping of bones echoed around the room as Talon flung back.

Renee quickly moved, firing away at Talon. Talon moved quickly, avoiding the bullets before he flung a throwing knife at the firearm. He quickly glanced at his arm before facing Jason. He moved the arm, the bones snapping as they healed and took their place once more in his body. With speed, Talon charged forward, only for the window above to smash open as The Dark Knight landed in the room.

Talon paused, things hadn’t gone according to plan. He made a nod towards Artemis who grinned and flipped over to his side. With speed, Talon deployed a smoke grenade, covering their escape, leaving the heroes behind, their target alive.

When the dust cleared, it became apparent that the two assassins had fled into the night sky. Batman narrowed his gaze as he turned around. “You stood strong.” He said towards his former and current protégé. “You may leave now Nightwing.” He added, watching as his former protégé left into the night.

Jade frowned, her eyes locked upon where Artemis and Talon had vanished. She didn’t think Artemis would work with a Talon. She figured there was more to the story then they knew.

* * *

Jade glanced over her mothers diary, she found no records of a Talon surviving the massacre, what she did notice, was that her mother made a note of how they had found, and liberated a child who was in the process of being turned into a Talon during the massacre, though what became of him after Talia took him was a mystery.

She wondered if this Talon and Talia were connected, or if there was something else brewing within the shadows they had yet to learn off.

* * *

Savage frowned. “It does not matter if they failed to eliminate Montoya, what matters is that the plan moves on.” He said.

Savage turned to face The Brain and Luthor. “It is time to move onto the next stage.” He went on. The two nodded, well, Luthor nodded while Brain remained silent.

**Author's Note:**

> The history regarding the Court's massacre will be explored in the form of Paula's diary entries and from Talon's own memories. The team shall make an appearance next chapter as will Talia and Sportsmaster.


End file.
